Category Archives: Learning Theory

Anant Agarwal, a professor of MIT’s EECS department and President of edX, a worldwide, online learning initiative of MIT and Harvard University, was interviewed on the Colbert Report about the phenomenon which is Open Source within higher education. During the interview, when asked about how it could be a good idea to offer a U.S. education to everyone for free he stated, “So, we’re giving away education. So, this is going to be good for the world. An educated world is a better world for everybody.” (Inside Higher Ed, 2013) There are a number of different ways to receive a free education available today for those who are willing to go out and find it. From MOOCs to free degrees online through schools like University of the People, there is no shortage of ways to access a free education.

MIT Open Courseware, found at http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm, completed its initial publication of the materials from 1800 of the courses offered at MIT in 2007. “The idea is simple: to publish all of our course materials online and make them widely available to everyone” (MIT Open Courseware, n.d.). The President of MIT, L. Rafeal Reif, in his message on the OCW site explains that “MIT’s mission statement charges us to advance knowledge and educate students, and to bring knowledge to bear on the world’s greatest challenges for the betterment of humankind. Open sharing of knowledge is the purest manifestation of this mission” (MIT Open Courseware, n.d.). The faculty of MIT uploads the materials from their face-to-face courses to the Open Courseware site in the hopes that those who want to find the knowledge can do so at no cost, anytime, anywhere.

The idea behind the MIT Open Courseware site follows the Theory of Independent Study proposed by Charles Wedemeyer most closely as it emphasizes “learner independence and adoption of technology” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). It gives the learner complete independence to take the materials presented and to use them as they see fit to learn the content. The adoption of technology comes from using the internet to access the materials and in some cases, where the course offers, to view video presentations. Wedemeyer does say that the relationship between the student and teacher is important (Smaldino et. al, 2012) and this is where these course offerings from the MIT Open Courseware stray from the theory as a distance learning model. There is no real relationship built with these courses between the teacher and learner as it is really more of a repository of information.

Essentially, these courses are the materials from the face-to-face courses offered on campus at MIT made available online to anyone. The courses include a syllabus, a calendar, suggested readings and assignments. Some of the courses also offer video or audio lectures, lecture notes, online textbooks, example student work, assessments, and interactive simulations. In the sense of these courses being consider distance education as proposed by Simonson et. al., they present a very loose interpretation. The definition for distance education proposed by Simonson et. al. (2012) is an “institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors” (p.32). These courses meet all the criteria except for the interactive telecommunications. However, the courses are not developed with the online learner in mind. The courses are, in using terminology from the Equivalency Theory, identical and not equivalent. However, these courses are free and thus the expectation of “equivalency” would be unrealistic. The materials are available, what learners are able to glean is completely at their own discretion.

In evaluating this site and the courses offered for the sake of distance learning theory and the focus on the distance learner as an audience there is a definite disconnect from what is being outlined by Simonson et. al. However, for the purpose of the site and the mission of MIT, this site and its courses are meeting its goal. I think there is great value in these materials as they are available to those who are looking for the knowledge that is offered here. To learn from professors from an institution such as MIT, even if there is no two way interaction, is a great benefit. I, for one, plan to take advantage of this resource now that I am aware of the offering.

“There is nothing so practical as a good theory, but a theory without the opportunity for real-life implementation will soon fade away” (Blythe & Gardner, 1990). As I am coming to the end of my course on learning theories instruction at Walden University, I read this quote with different eyes than I might have when I first started. Theory has always been a word that left me with little to no emotion or excitement. However, as I studied learning theory over the past month and a half, I have actually found myself excited at the prospect of, not just studying theory, but having the opportunity to implement it in real life.

When I first began this course and was asked which theories were most in line with how I learn, I pointed to the cognitive and constructivist theories. In the seven weeks since that time, after studying multiple learning theories, I would still agree that I learn through a cognitive and constructivist view. However, I would also have to include a connectivist and adult learning theory approaches.

I connect with the cognitivist theory as I believe that, for myself, it is extremely important to understand how I am learning just as much as what I am learning. Using metacognitive strategies is something I do regularly to check my comprehension of information. Before this course I did not have a name or definition for what I was doing, but this is something that I now understand as not just a concept that helps me to learn better, but one that needs to be brought to light with the learners I work with to help them to be more effective in their learning as well. Bransford and Donovan (2005) gave three principles of learning that are particularly important for teachers to understand and be able to incorporate in their teaching, the third of these three principles is that “a metacognitive approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them.” (p.2) This is true for me and for the learners I work with, and thus I believe the cognitive theory is in line with the way I learn best.

The constructivist theory is one that I connected with immediately when reading and learning about its basis. I think this stems from the fact that I grew up in an environment that required me to learn to do things on my own. My parents worked hard and were not always there to guide me in my learning. This meant I was constantly learning from watching others and applying what I observed. The social constructivist theory specifically stood out as how I have learned many skills in my personal life. I also described in my original post for this course that the constructivist theory is the theory that best describes my learning of instructional design before entering the Master’s program. I learned from observation of others and observation of design. I was put into the environment and learned by doing the work. Through this observation and practice I developed my understanding and beliefs about the field.

In adding to my original post, I would also include the connectivist theory approach as being in line with the way I learn best. This learning “theory for the digital age, where individuals learn and work in a networked environment” (Anderson, 2008) is one that makes sense in my world. As an instructional designer that has worked in a building where I am the only person doing what I do, the only way to learn is to connect to the network of instructional designers and information on the internet and social networking. I learn so much about the new trends and information of instructional design through these avenues, and now through my courses at Walden. I have a network of other students that I discuss the issues of the current world of instructional design on a weekly basis. This theory, though it has a lot of push back, holds validity in how I learn. And I think it also must be considered with the current generation of students that we work with as well.

And the final learning theory I want to speak of my connection with is the adult learning theory. Not only because I am an adult, but because of the basic principles of the theory, I think this is one that falls in line with the way I learn. I am a self-directed learner who wants to be involved in the planning and evaluation of my learning. I need to be able to apply what I am learning in my life and learn from my experiences with that application. I prefer to learn through a problem-centered learning environment rather than a content-oriented one. (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2002) I also find that in being an instructional designer in the corporate world that these principles are key to being successful in my day-to-day work.

Lastly, I want to touch on how technology plays a role in my learning. On a daily basis, I probably use a search engine of some type, Google, Bing, etc., an average of 3-5 times a day. When I am looking for a new way to put people into groups, a new format to develop a lesson, or a new animation action in Power Point, I go to the internet. I have an iPhone and apps that help me to know the weather, my class grades, and keep up with my favorite internet sites. There is no end to the use of technology in my learning. When I think back to how learning occurred only 5 years ago, it is amazing the changes! With my knowledge of learning theories and the access to technology to aid in my continuous improvement, I hope to be able to always stay abreast of the latest trends and be the best that I can be in my field.

“Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical.” (Siemens, 2004)

In reading about connectivism I find myself fascinated with how it describes the clear process that so many people take now when there is something they want to learn. In every day conversations, when a question arises that no one knows the answer to, inevitably someone will say, “Google it!” This is the world we now live in.

The assignment this week in my Learning Theories and Instruction course at Walden University was to create a mind map of my network connections. Basically, break down how you learn and from what nodes I gain knowledge. I tackled this assignment from the same aspect that I typically attach writing my goals on an annual basis; I looked at the same areas of life as I set my goals: career, education, health, social, financial and emotional/spiritual. In looking at each of the areas I then started asking myself, how do I learn and grow in my ability to meet me goals in these areas. The resulting mind map can be seen in this post.

As I created the mind map, and thought about how technology has changed the way I learn, I see how even in the past few months through my courses at Walden University, I have become more equipped to learn in a vast, ever-changing world. I have been in the ID field for the past 5 years, and I have learned more in the past 4 months than in the rest of this time. Why? Because I have been introduced to the world of connectivism through blogs, online journals, and other technological resources, like mind maps, that have changed the way I look at how I learn. I would say that I have found the use of blogs and conversations with other ID professionals, even through the posts in my courses, the most beneficial. Learning from others and their experiences and having constructive conversation around the topics that are affecting my career and education has allowed me to grow in both my knowledge level and skills needed to be the best I can be at what I do.

As I look at my personal learning network through my mind map, I have to agree that connectivism is a part of the learning scene now and that cannot be denied. One of the principles of connectivism is that “learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions” (Davis, Edmunds, & Bateman, 2008). I can see this in my mind map as I notice that I learn so much from others. I believe that having my opinion is important but when I hear from others through a variety of resources, their opinions are able to affect my own and sometime change them completely. Another principle is that “learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources” (Davis, Edmunds, & Bateman, 2008). My mind map is pretty extensive and clearly shows this principle of many nodes or information sources being used to learn.

The clearest principle I am able to see by looking at my mind map of my personal learning network is that “nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning” (Davis, Edmunds, & Bateman, 2008). If I did not have the connections that I have, my learning would not be able to grow as effectively as it would with them. The truth of the matter is that in this day and age, “the span of time between learning something new, being able to apply it, and finding that it is outdated and no longer useful continues to decrease” (Davis, Edmunds, & Bateman, 2008). So, not nurturing and maintaining connections would mean losing out on the new and improved ways of thinking and doing things. We must always be thinking and improving as instructional designers. Connectivism seems to give a clear picture of how we can do this.

This week in my Learning Theories Instruction course we are looking at the topic of brain research and how it relates to learning. As I researched this topic I found a number of different resources that were helpful, including a number of blogs. I want to take a moment here and list a few of the professional resources, websites and journals, that I found most beneficial in my understanding of the topics this week in hope that they will benefit you as well!

Johns Hopkins University School of Education: New Horizons for Learning

This website is a resource for many educational topics. You can access the New Horizons for Learning Journal that the school publishes electronically at no cost from the site. Concerning the specific topic of the brain and learning they have an entire section of the New Horizons site that is about Neurosciences. On this page you can find articles, recommended readings and additional websites that focus on the topic. In my view, any site that will give not only the information they teach but also resources for you to do your own research is one that can be invaluable.

This site provides a variety of different resources concerning the brain and learning. In the Education Connection page you can find specific articles that focus on how brain research is affecting education. Or, you can search their library for articles concerning different topics such as learning and memory, thinking and problem solving, and learning and behavior in the classroom. They have a link to reviews on books and websites on the study of the brain. There is a blog on the study of brain plasticity that has blog posts relating to learning and problem solving. You can also access games and brain teasers which are meant to challenge the brain and keep it active. The numerous resources found here make this site one to visit!

This entire edition of this journal focuses on the neuroscience of adult learning. Starting with James Zull writing about how the brain learns, then Louis Cozolino and Susan Sprokay look at the connection between neuroscience and adult learning. Bruce Perry then covers the topic of fear and learning. And finally, Colin Ross at brain self-repair and how it has implications on education. I enjoyed this resource as a whole because it didn’t just focus on brain theory and learning as a general topic but focused in on how it affects the learning of adult learners. I accessed the journal through the Walden Library and would recommend it to anyone who works with adult learners.

Sprenger, M. (1999). Learning and memory: the brain in action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

The final resource I would recommend on this topic of brain development and learning is a book that I also found through the Walden Library. This book takes this topic and makes it easy to understand through illustrations and examples that bring them to life. Literally, as I was reading this book, I found myself relating to the stories in a way that I understood the topic more clearly. Sprenger starts with a breakdown of the brain and how it works. She goes on to talk about how our memory works within our brain and then finally gives some specific examples of how understanding the brain can help to create effective instructional strategies. Of all of the resources I found through my research this week, this was one of the most beneficial to my learning.

“The only evidence we have of learning is memory” (Sprenger, 1999). This being true, I hope that these resources will help you to not only learn about the brain and how it effects learning but that you can make it connect with your world and experience so that it becomes a part of your memory. And as these fascinating concepts become part of your memory and your thinking, as I hope they do in mine as well, I hope to see them start to change how we view the way we work as instructional designers.

Let me know what you think of these resources if you get a chance to check them out!

“Thousands of accomplished educators are now writing blogs about teaching and learning, bringing transparency to both the art and the science of their practice… And all of this collective knowledge is readily available for free” (Ferriter, 2009). What an incredible truth! I am so excited to begin participating in this knowledge field – both to contribute through my own blog, The Arch of Learning, and to start taking advantage of all of the resources available to me.

As I started doing some research for l blogs to follow in the field of Instructional Design, I found there are a lot to choose from. I have chosen to follow a number of blogs, but I wanted to share three of them here and give a brief description of each one and how I feel they can give me an advantage and help me to be the best in my place in the instructional design world.

The first blog site is The Learning Circuits Blog. This is a blog that is a community feature of Learning Circuits which is a newsletter from ASTD. The site allows anyone in the training and development field to share ideas and opinions about the state of learning and technology. Anyone can post on the blog and comment on the blogs posted. The latest blog post “Face Up To It: Are You the CBT Lady?” had me laughing as I have had similar experiences as the ones described in the blog. As I perused the other blog posts I knew I would have to follow this one. It has relevant information to the field and will give multiple viewpoints as it is an open forum as opposed to being just one author. I also like the idea of being able to post on the blog itself. Maybe one day I will get my confidence to the point of feeling I can do so!

The second blog I would like to share is online learning insights. This blog is authored by Debbie Morrison. I was drawn to this blog because of the content, focusing on online learning as well as the volume, as Debbie seems to post to her blog on a regular basis. The topics of her blogs drew me in and made me think more about online learning in my world. I like that Debbie is an instructional designer in a world much like mine. It makes me feel as though I could not only learn from what she has to say but that I can also contribute to the conversation.

The final blog I will list here is Allison Rossett. The name of the blog is the same as the author. She is a consultant in training and technology-based performance. I am immediately drawn to her because I would like to have this title myself one day. She also has an impressive list of credentials and experience. I feel as though I can learn a lot from Allison about the field of instructional design and this is why I am following her blog. Her most recent blog post “Consulting with executives to turn technology investments into results” drew me in right away! This is a topic, ROI, that is important in the field of Training and Development. The topics covered in the blog are varied throughout the T&D field and how it can be made more effective. This will definitely be one worth following!

There are a large number of other blog sites that I have bookmarked and started following. I feel as though I will find which ones will be most relevant to me in the coming weeks as I check in with my Google Reader. I will keep you posted. 🙂

I am just a girl, writing a blog, asking you to read it. My goal is to educate, entertain and enjoy life. I am an instructional designer, trainer and student of life. I like things in threes as the number has brought me a lot of luck in life. I hope to share my experiences in my professional and personal world here within the Arch of Learning. Welcome. Sit down, read, stay a while. I look forward to your comments.